1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of communication response systems. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to audience response systems and is particularly adapted to classroom type environments. Known art may be found in U.S. Class 370, Multiplex Communications, Subclass 312, Message addressed to multiple destinations. Class 434, Education and Demonstration, Subclass 335, By means including electrical component, Subclass 336, Response of plural examinees communicated to monitor or recorder by electrical signals, Subclass 350, Response of plural examinee's communicated to monitor or recorder by electrical signals, Subclass 351, Wireless signals. Class 455, Telecommunications, Subclass 2.01, Audience survey or program distribution use accounting, Subclass 3.05, Two-way, Subclass 458, Specific paging technique, and Subclass 500, Plural transmitters or receivers. Additional art may also be found in other classes and subclasses.
2. Description of the Known Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, communication systems take a variety of approaches. Patents disclosing information relevant to different communication systems include U.S. Pat. No. RE35,449, issued to Derks on Feb. 11, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,815, issued to Saltzberg et al. on May 20, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,729, issued to Derks on Sep. 20, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,141, issued to Anderson et al. on Sep. 15, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,870, issued to Anderson et al. on Mar. 22, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,655, issued to Groff on Jan. 15, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,786, issued to Derks on Mar. 3, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,177, issued to Nickerson on Jul. 6, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,437, issued to Caldwell et al. on Dec. 28, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,357, issued to Derks on Mar. 3, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,214, issued to Knowles on Feb. 9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,910, issued to Jerrold-Jones et al. on Jan. 30, 2001; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,918, issued to Roschelle et al. on Sep. 30, 2003. Each of these patents is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. Abstract information of the above-listed patents are noted as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. RE35,449 issued to Derks on Feb. 11, 1997 discloses a remote response system includes a central control unit and a plurality of remotely-located response units each having keypads for entering a selection from a user. The central control unit sequentially transmits distinct address words and includes redundant receivers for receiving data words transmitted by response units. Each response unit becomes powered-up upon the entry of a user response and transmits a data word, corresponding to the user selection, upon receipt of its unique address word. The central control unit examines the validity of each data bit received and the validity of an entire data word to determine if both a character and its complement are received. If a valid data word is received, the central control unit transmits an acknowledge bit, which powers-down the response unit that sent the valid word. Each response unit transmits its data word simultaneously with the central control unit transmitting the address word for the next unit that is to respond with the transmissions occurring over distinct frequency channels. A clock signal for controlling data word serial bit transmission is derived at each response unit from the address word signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,815 issued to Saltzberg et al. on May 20, 1969 discloses a binary sequence which is generated to be used as an address coding system for identifying a particular remote station to be controlled. The remote stations are identified by subsequences having fewer bits than the entire sequence and the entire sequence is so constructed that no subsequence is repeated in the sequence. Thus, an identifying code of a large number of bits for security purposes can be used to address each station yet only a single additional bit need be transmitted to address each subsequent station.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,729 issued to Derks on Sep. 20, 1977 discloses a wireless electrical teaching system which includes an instructor operated console with a plurality of lesson sources and means for transmitting the lesson source information to students, each having a transceiver unit which can be used to select one of the desired lesson sources. The console includes means for generating a unique student identification code transmitted on a common carrier frequency for all students but identifying an individual student for purposes of monitoring the student's progress during a lesson or for intercommunications between the instructor and a student. Each of the student transceivers include code detecting means responsive only to the unique code identifying the student for generating a control signal which actuates a student transmitter for transmitting the student's voice back to the instructor during a monitoring mode of operation. The console also includes an intercom transmission circuit and a circuit for modifying the student code. The student's transceiver includes control means for automatically muting the lesson source when a modified code is received and tuning the student receiver to the intercom transmission circuit permitting intercommunications between the instructor and the student at the same adjustable audio level as the lesson source selected by the student.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,141 issued to Anderson et al. on Sep. 15, 1981 discloses an electronic voting system which includes a plurality of wireless response units, each response unit capable of transmitting several different digitally coded signals. Each of these digitally coded signals corresponds to the response of a person responding to a given stimulus. Each response unit transmits a selected digitally coded response via a radio frequency signal during one of a series of time intervals, a different time interval corresponding to each of the response units. An interrogating and response processing unit signals the response units to commence response transmission and receives, processes and displays the transmitted responses for observation by selected persons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,870 issued to Anderson et al. on Mar. 22, 1983 discloses an audience polling system which includes a plurality of wireless transmitters, each transmitter capable of transmitting a pulse of electromagnetic energy on a selected one of a group of predetermined frequencies. Each frequency selected on which to transmit corresponds to one of a group of suggested responses to a given stimulus. The polling system includes a receiver for receiving the transmitted pulses and electronic counters for tallying the number of pulses received on each of the selected frequencies. An electronic display presents the results of the tallying for observation by the audience or others.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,655 issued to Groff on Jan. 15, 1985 discloses a radio-controlled teaching device comprising a teacher transmitter unit and a plurality of student receiver units for maintaining student alertness during oral reading of written textual material, for the oral administration of multiple-choice or true or false test material, and for the preparation and presentation of recorded programmed instructional material. The teacher transmitter unit contains a tone generator and radio transmitter which transmits discrete tone signals, either under manual control of the teacher or automatically under the control of a plural channel instructional tape recording. Each student receiver unit contains timers, a logic circuit, and a radio receiver which receives the above tone signals (which are transparent to the students) and provides a short time period during which the student is expected to respond by briefly closing a response switch. The short time periods correspond to portions of a text being orally read, such as the end of a paragraph, proper nouns, verbs, etc., which the teacher wishes to emphasize, or to the correct answer of a multiple-choice or true or false question which is also being orally read, or to a designated point within a recorded programmed lesson which is being played back by a tape player. If the student responds during the above time period, he receives a “right” score which is displayed on a digital readout. If the student responds at any time other than the above time period, he receives a “wrong” score which is also displayed. Whether or not the teacher wishes to record the scores, the students are aware they are individually challenged by the teaching device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,786 issued to Derks on Mar. 3, 1992 discloses a remote response system which includes a central control unit and a plurality of remotely-located response units each having keypads for entering a selection from a user. The central control unit sequentially transmits distinct address words and includes redundant receivers for receiving data words transmitted by response units. Each response unit becomes powered-up upon the entry of a user response and transmits a data word, corresponding to the user selection, upon receipt of its unique address word. The central control unit examines the validity of each data bit received and the validity of an entire data word to determine if both a character and its complement are received. If a valid data word is received, the central control unit transmits an acknowledge bit, which powers-down the response unit that sent the valid word. Each response unit transmits its data word simultaneously with the central control unit transmitting the address word for the next unit that is to respond with the transmissions occurring over distinct frequency channels. A clock signal for controlling data word serial bit transmission is derived at each response unit from the address word signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,177 issued to Nickerson on Jul. 6, 1993 discloses a system for collecting data from a plurality of respondents having a central portion with a central processor and a base station and a remote portion with a plurality of wireless response units for respondents to be prompted to enter response data to a visually perceptible display which may be shown live, on a television monitor or may be taped. The display may include multiple choice questions. The central processor accumulates the response data via radio, optical or acoustic communication links with the remote units, each of which has a unique address. The central processor displays the accumulated response data in real time and may overlay the processed response data and originate display shown to the respondents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,437 issued to Caldwell et al. on Dec. 28, 1993 discloses an audience participation system and method utilizing wireless transmission which is provided. The system includes a plurality of modules in the possession of an audience, each module having a keypad or other means which is activated by a member of the audience in order for the audience to respond to a question posed by the speaker during his presentation. After the speaker poses a question, the audience responds by supplying information through a physical input into the module. The module then encodes the information provided into an encoded electrical pattern. This encoded electrical pattern is modulated into an electromagnetic signal which is then electromagnetically transmitted. A base station has a receiver for capturing the electromagnetic signal which is then demodulated into the encoded electrical pattern originally transmitted. The data are retrieved and collected, and then statistically analyzed according to the wishes of the speaker and displayed to present a statistical analysis of the combined audience response to the question posed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,357 issued to Derks on Mar. 3, 1998 discloses a wireless remote response system that includes a base unit which retrieves user-entered responses from a plurality of remote response units, each of which is provided to a user. The base unit transmits a base data package over a wireless communication link to the plurality of remote response units, which decode the base packet and load into memory a portion of the decoded base package at each response unit. Each response unit examines the characters loaded into the memory and determines any character in the portion of the decoded base package that pertains to that particular response unit. Each remote response unit then processes any character that pertains to that particular response unit. Each bit of data exchanged between the base unit and the response unit is encoded as a particular time interval for at least one cycle of a periodic waveform by varying the time interval either between successive rising edges or between successive falling edges of the periodic waveform. Decoding is carried out by measuring the time intervals between rising edges or between falling edges of successive waveforms. It is then determined whether each measured time interval falls within one of at least two distinct non-overlapping time ranges in order to determine a value of each bit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,214 issued to Knowles on Feb. 9, 1999 discloses a signal transmission system which comprises a transmitter arranged to transmit a coded signal as a series of pulses of line of sight radiation having a predetermined minimum interval therebetween, a receiver responsive to such radiated pulses received at a corresponding minimum interval, and a plurality of repeater devices. Each repeater device comprises a radiation receiving element, a radiation transmitting element, and means responsive to receipt of a pulse of transmitted energy by said receiving element for causing said transmitting element to emit a corresponding pulse of transmitted energy and for causing said receiving element to be disabled for a predetermined period of time corresponding to at least a multiple of the duration of the pulse transmitted by said transmitting element. A plurality of the repeater devices can thus be arrayed between said transmitter and receiver to provide a plurality of line of sight radiation propagation paths with a plurality of repeaters each in line of sight of the transmitter and/or other repeaters and with the receiver in line of sight of a plurality of said repeaters so that random interruption of the signal propagation paths does not interrupt the transmitted signal. Each repeater may comprise its own transmitter and key pad to provide an audience polling system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,910 issued to Jerrold-Jones et al. on Jan. 30, 2001 discloses an examination scoring system which comprises an independent, portable hand-held remote scoring unit (preferably owned by the student) having the capability to download answers stored therein without the need for an expensive docking station, and having the capability to transmit answers to the central scoring computer without the presence or assistance of the instructor or proctor. The system is particularly advantageous in that it provides the opportunity for the student to receive immediate scoring results to his or her remote scoring unit, and the remote scoring unit is designed to minimize the possibility of cheating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,918 issued to Roschelle et al. on Sep. 30, 2003 discloses a system, method and computer program product which are provided for giving feedback in an educational environment using networked devices. Initially, an image stimulus is displayed to a plurality of individual group members regarding material being presented by a group leader utilizing a plurality of networked devices operated by the group members. Thereafter, feedback is received from the individual group members in response to the image stimulus utilizing the networked devices. The feedback is then aggregated after which the aggregated feedback is transmitted to the networked device operated by the group leader. Such aggregated feedback reflects the feedback received from each of the individual group members for allowing the group leader to view the aggregated feedback.
The prior art does not address issues facing proper transmissions of information through infrared communications. The problem with infrared remotes is that it is difficult to transmit data without encountering errors. The described invention implements a sophisticated error checking scheme that eliminates infrared transmission errors in an efficient and cost effective manner. The error checking scheme is implemented with minimal hardware in order to reduce costs and is robust enough to handle thousands of users.
The present invention's apparatus, method, and process of control does not appear to be taught by this prior art. Thus, it may be seen that these prior art patents are very limited in their teaching and utilization, and an improved audience response system is needed to overcome these limitations.